Earth-auger.



No. 727,322. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

' N. ERZIG.

EARTH AUGBR.

{APPLICATION FILED NOV.10, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

THE ucmus PLYERS co. FHOTQJJINO WASHINGTON n. c.

UNlTED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EARTH-AUGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 727,322, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed November 10, 1902, Serial No. 130,659. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NICKOLAUS Enzrc, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Earth-Angers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in earth-angers, and has for its'object to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a light, strong, and durable construction adapted for use for quickly boring or digging in the earth for forming post-holes and for similar uses, the nature of the device being such that by its use the holes are bored or dug in an easy manner without great labor or exertion, and the excavated earth is completely removed from the hole on the removal of the device therefrom without the exercise of any particular care or skill on the part of the operator.

The invention consists in certain novel fea tures of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved earth-auger whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and is otherwise better adapted and made more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation showing an earth-auger embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken transversely through the device in the plane indicated by the line a a in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an under side view showing the lower end of the improved earth-auger in elevation.

As shown in the views, the improved earthauger is constructed from a piece or section 1 of sheet metal, although I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to this detailed construction, since the device may, if desired, be made from cast metal as well. When made from sheet metal, as herein shown, the

piece or section 1 of metal from which the device is produced will be primarily formed or cut into a blank, which will be bent or curved to give it a cylindrical or tubular shape, as shown on the drawings, the end portions of the sheet metal being lapped one upon the other and secured by rivets 2, suitably spaced and passed through said lapped end portions. By thisconstruction it will be seen that the 'upper portion 3 of the sheet-metal blank of with openings or notches 4 4, cut in it and extended upward in a diagonal direction from the lower edge of said blank, whereby bladelike portions or shovels 5 5 are produced on the lower edge of the blank between said openings, and when the blank is bent in cylindrical or tubular form and secured by rivets at its ends said portions or blades 5 5 of the blank between the openings or notches 4 4 are bent or curved so as to extend each across a portion of the bottom of the tubular or cylindrical shell 3, as shown at 8 8 on the drawings.

When the blades or shovels 5 5 of the blank are thus bent, one diagonal edge of each blade or shovel will be bent outward, as shown at 6, so as to extend in an inclined direction downwardly and outwardly from the cylindrical upper portion 3 of the device, and these diagonal outwardly-extended edges 6 6 will serve as cutting edges adapted for engagement in the earth to excavate the same and produce therein .an opening of a diameter greater than that of the cylindrical upper portion or shell 3 of the device, the opening 4 adjacent to each of said cutting edges serving for the passage of such excavated earth into the interior space or chamber of the cylindrical portion 3 of the device and theoutward inclination or curvature of the blade or portion 5 serving to guide anddirect such excavated earth into said space or chamber with aminimnm of friction or resistance.

That part 8 of each of the blades or shovels 5 which isextended across the bottom of the device is also provided with an edge 7, forming an angular extension or continuation of the cutting edge 6 on such blade and adapted for engagement with the earth below the cylindrical shell of the device to excavate the same, the earth excavated by these edges 7 passing through the openings at between the blades or shovels, the inclination or curvature of which serves to guide and direct such excavated material upward into the space or chamber inside the cylindrical shell.

As herein shown, the deviceis formed with three of the blades or shovels 5 5, although it may have a greater number, if desired, and the inclination or curvature of these blades is such that each successive blade or shovel is madeto project to a greater distance beyond the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell or body portion of the device than the preceding blade or shovel and also to a greater distance below the bottom of said cylindrical shell or body portion than said preceding blade, so that each blade or shovel will be caused to excavate a certain proportion of the earth and to draw the same into the cylindrical shell out of the way of the next blade, so as to lessen as much as possible the friction and resistance to turning of the device.

The inclinations of the edges 6 and 7 of the blades are rearwardly from the junctures of said edges 6 and 7, so that the juncture of said edges 6 and 7 of each blade or shovel is the point farthest not only outside of the periphery of the cylindrical shell, but also farthest below the lower end of said shell, and said point of juncture will be the first point of the blade to cut into the earth. In this way each edge portion 6 and 7 is given a draw out, so as to out into the earth more readily.

Owing to the difierences in the curvatures of the three blades or shovels 5 of the device, as herein shown, the point of juncture f the cutting edges 6 and 7 of one blade is farthest outside of and below the cylindrical shell, the corresponding point 10 in the next blade or shovel 5 is next farthest, and the corresponding point 11 in the third blade or shovel is nearest to the periphery and'bottom of the shell, so that the Working stress is distributed equally upon the three blades or shovels.

12 indicates a spiral screw, herein shown as formed from a piece or strip of sheet metal bent or twisted into a spiral or screw-like form and having a flattened upper part 13, held by rivets 14 to the central lower part of the device, the arrangement of said rivets being such that one rivet carried by the flattened part 13 is engaged in the lower inturned part 8 of each of the blades or shovels 5. By this construction it will be seen that the screw 12 serves to bind the three blades or shovels 5 together at the bottom of the device, so as to brace and strengthen said blades and prevent them from spreading under the strains put upon them in the use of the device.

The point or tip of the screw 12 is extended below the lowermost point 9 of the cutting edges of the lowermost blade orshovel 5, so

that when the device is pressed upon the ground for use said screw 12 will first sink into the earth and by its spiral flanges will serve to draw the cutting edges of the blades down in engagement with the earth to cut into the same, the screw serving at the same time to center the device and prevent lateral movement thereof while in use.

The cylindrical upper part or shell 3 of the device is provided with a bail 15, extended across its open upper end and held by rivets 16 or the like passed through the sheel-metal shell and through ears 17 on said bail, the rivets 16 at one side being passed through the lapped end portions of the metal blank, as seen in Fig. 1, to hold said ends in relation.

The bail 12 has atits central upper part a boss 18, in which is held the lower end of a stem 19, made from metal tubing of suitable strength and provided at its upper end with a T-coupling 20, through the transverse bore of which is passed a bar 18, the opposite ends of which are extended in opposite directions beyond said coupling to form handles adapted to be grasped by the hands of a person using the device.

In the use of the device the handles formed by the bar 18 are grasped by the operator,

and the lower end of the device, whereat the blades 5 and screw 12 are located, is pressed forcibly upon the ground, the device being meanwhile turned or rotated after the fashion of an ordinary auger to cause the screw 12 to sink into the earth and draw the cutting edges of the blades or shovels 5 5 down and compel them to sink into and cut the earth, the excavated material being in the turning movement of the device guided within the interior space or hollow of the cylindrical shell, so as to prevent friction on the blades and upon the peripheral surface of the cylindrical shell. When the device has been sunk to a desired depth, the shell is removed from the hole produced by it and when so withdrawn will carry away with it all of the excavated material contained in its hollow interior, so that the separate removal of such excavated material is avoided and consequent annoyance and labor are obviated.

The device constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature, and being light, strong, and durable is especially well adapted for use, and it will also be obvious from the above description that the device is capable of con siderable modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts of the device as herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. An earth-auger comprising a cylindrical shell the lower portion of which is provided with-a plurality of slitted openings extended from its lower edge upward, the portions of'the shell between said openings forming blades each inclined outwardly from the periphery of said shell and having a portion bent across the bottom of said shell, said blades being arranged to project to different distances below the bottom of the shell each blade having two cutting edges one of which is formed on the part inclined outward from the shell and the other of which is formed on the part bent across the bottom of the shell, substantially as set forth.

2. An earth-auger comprising a cylindrical shell the lower portion of which is provided with a plurality of notches or openings extended from its lower edge upward, the portions of the shell between the notches or openings forming blades between said openings or notches, each blade having a portion inclined from the periphery of the shell and provided with a cutting edge and also having a portion bent across the bottom of the shell and provided with a cutting edge, said blades being arranged to project to different distances below the bottom of the shell, substantially as set forth.

3. An earth-auger comprising a cylindrical shell the lower portion of which has a plurality of notches or openings extended in it and forming blades between said openings or notches, each blade having a portion inclined outward from the periphery of the shell and provided with a cutting edge and also having a portion bent across the bottom of the shell and provided with a cutting edge, the

cutting edges of both portions being connected and being inclined rearward from their juncture to produce a draw out, substantially as set forth.

4. An earth-anger comprising a cylindrical shell the lower portion of which has a series of blades separated by openings leading into the interior of the shell, said blades having cutting edges and being each formed with a part extended across the bottom of said shell and a spiral screw held to the inturned parts of said blades at the center of the bottom of the shell and projected below the bottom thereof for engagement in the earth, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, at Chicago, Illinois, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of October, 1902.

NICHKOLAUS ERZIG.

Witnesses: HERMAN J. BAULER, FRED W. EHRHARDT. 

